Stuck In The Middle
by Basic-Angel
Summary: Rob "accidentaly" rejects Star's Love, and she runs away! Oh no! Then a freaky, and altogether to happy villian threatens the city... R for language and mature content later on. Chapter 2 up.
1. Banana Split

Chapter 1: Banana Split  
  
Ch 1: Banana Split  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Titans, The Legend of Zelda, or Poke'mon. Never have, never will. I have no money, so don't sue me. Oh, and the bad guy and Cyborg's new online chat friend are mine, so don't use'em. MINE!!!!  
  
Starfire sighed, staring down at her blothgloriet ring. She wondered if it was the right thing to do, to give this away. Would he participate in the Blothglor ceremony? She wasn't sure of it at all. This ceremony was a most important one to her race, and a refusal to participate on his part would be devastating on her part. The ceremony was all about love... She was scared that he did not return her love. Starfire lay back onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Will he say yes? Will he agree? ........ I don't know!" She twirled the ring between her fingers, staring at it intently. "I must have courage!" She decided, sitting up again. "I will ask him now! ...... Before I lose this courage that I have just gained...." She jumped up and ran out of her bedroom, heading intently towards Robin's room. "NOOOOO!!!! Sonofa-!" Cyborg's voice echoed down the hall, followed by a very load crash. "I LOST AGAIN!!!" Starfire entered the living area intently, her quest for love momentarily forgotten by the intrigue for the commotion. The room was in shambles. Carnage was everywhere. It was great. Starfire gasped. "Cyborg! Where are you!? CYBORG!!!!" She scanned the room, and found him glaring at the huge flatscreen TV on the wall. He spurted out some obscenities at the screen as an IM message came up on the screen:  
  
Dragon: You're pretty good. For a loser. :P There's that tag team tourney coming up. Shall we kick ass? Or are you afraid?????  
  
Cyborg's anger grew a bit, but it was overshadowed by excitement. "Tag Team huh?"  
  
Cyborg: Sounds like a grand old time, man. One thing though. I AM NOT A LOSER. NEW GAME!!! RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE!!!  
  
"He's been like that ever since he found that online gaming partner this morning. He and that guy have been going at it all day. It's definitely getting to his nerves. He didn't even notice those were tofu dogs at lunch!" Beast Boy stood beside her shaking his head. "It's sad man. He has lost all of his social life." Starfire nodded. "This is extremely strange behavior for Cy- OH! I have to talk to Robin!" She started her trek towards Robin's room again, hopefully without any distractions this time. She stood in front of his door, suddenly self conscience of her self. She hesitatingly knocked on Robin's bedroom door. "Robin? .... May I... come in?" No answer came. She opened the door and peered in. The room was dark other than a small lamp on a table in the middle of the room. Robin was bent over it, staring intently at various maps and objects scattered across it. "I will find you Slade.... "Ummm... Robin?" She twirled a piece of hair nervously as she entered the room, shutting the door behind her. "Can I ..... converse with you for a short time? ..... Please....?" She took a few steps towards him, feeling very uncomfortable and nervous. This was her only chance; Star didn't feel that she could dredge up the courage to face him later. "I'm busy, Star..... I'm trying to figure out where Slade will strike next......" Robin mumbled, mostly to himself. He drummed his fingers on the table distractedly. "But it's extremely important!" Star began to babble on. "I was wondering ..... Well.... Would you be my Blothglor!!?" She bowed her head and held out the Blothgloriet ring in her outstretched palms. Robin mumbled for across the table. Starfire's heart suddenly seized in her chest as dread fell on her. "Robin? Do you need time for an answer?" She squeezed her eyes shut, afraid to even look at him, as she shook from fear. She wouldn't be able to handle waiting for an answer very long. Robin sighed. "Look Star, I don't have time for any of your holidays today. Please leave me alone right now, okay? I'm working on a lead with Slade." He never even looked up from his work. Star's eyes grew wide and filled with tears, and her shoulders shook with despair. The ring dropped from her hands, clanging to the floor as she ran out of the room. She didn't stop until she was safely shut in the sanctuary of her own room. The tears streamed down her face, turning her eyes red and staining her cheeks in salty tracks. Star dropped to the floor, sobbing in despair. "I... I have failed in the Blothglor Tradition!!" Her hands covered her face, all color draining from her skin. "The refusal... of the.... Blothgloriet Ring.... Is instant.. EXILE! I am to never see my family or friends again..." She let out a moan. "All alone... forever... Not again..." She pulled out her flower covered bag, and stuffed clothes and a couple of trinkets into it. She wiped her tears away, depression sinking in. She would always be alone now... Her people's laws decreed it. She slowly picked up her bag, staring at her favorite picture of all the Titans together. "Once one chooses a Blothglor.... One becomes bound to them... If that bond is broken... one becomes a soulless monster... full on hatred and jealousy. One is not fit for society without love... They are fit for nothing but their own loneliness..... I must travel before the transformation is complete." She sniffed. "Goodbye, dear friends. May you find your Blothglor and have their acceptance." Star detached her communicator and let it fall to the floor. She shuffled out her door, and out of the Titans life.  
  
The next afternoon...  
  
BREEEEEEEEECK! BREEEEEEEEECK! WARNING! WARNING! BREEEEEEEECK! BREEEEEEECK!  
  
Robin sped into the main room as the screen brought up a map showing the wear the crime was taking place. Raven, BB, and Cyborg were close behind him. "Sensors indicate a highly explosive and unstable quantity of illegal substance situated in the abandoned mines 30 miles outside of the city. Explosion is probable." The computer droned in a toneless voice as Robin cursed quietly to himself. "This has Slade written all over it! Come on Titans, let's go!!" He turned the door, and something caught his eye. Or, rather, the lack of something caught his eye. "Where's Star?" They all shrugged. "We haven't seen her since yesterday when she went to your room...." BB said. "You didn't do something to scare her did you? Did she see walk in on you?! Oh, our poor, poor Starfire!!!" BB fainted dramatically. "THAT'S NOT FUNNY!!!" Robin growled and punched BB in the head. "I'll see if she's in her room. You guys go on ahead and check out those mines. We'll catch up." The others nodded and ran out of the room. He started off towards Starfire's room. Robin thought back to Star's plea the other day. At the time he thought it was just another one of the many "joyous" holidays from her home planet. But after looking back on the scene, all the signs pointed elsewhere. She was too tense, and not nearly excited as she should have been. He was too focused on his search for Slade that he was completely ignoring what Star had to say. He knew Star was easily depressed, even though she did not show it. It was that knowledge that made them close. After the Red X incident, he began telling her of his frustrations, and taking comfort in her company. They had both confessed many of their closely guarded secrets to each other. Hers was the many sleepless nights she had do to constant self-doubt. She left her family after some sort of incident, and found her way to earth, seeking, and finding, companionship and acceptance. He saw first hand how she viewed rejection when she went through a transformation that made her look very.... different for awhile. (I know!!! I am such a geek!) He should have thought before he spoke before. Maybe that was his problem. He doesn't think about her enough, or the rest of the Titans. The tower was getting very messy and ....disgusting. He thought the fungus in the fridge got up and moved the other day, and he was pretty sure that rash he found on his ass this morning was from the fact that the toilet hasn't been cleaned in a long time. Saving the city leaves little time for leisure, and less time for household chores. Food for thought.... His feet reached Star's door, and he knocked tentatively. "Star? You in there?" ................ Silence answered him. "Star?" He opened the door. Darkness met him. She wasn't there. He knelt down and picked up her communicator. "Did you leave again?"  
  
"Think you guys can handle it without me? Something happened to Star, and I'm going to start working on a lead I found." He held up a ring for them to see over the mini screen. "Raven's in charge." "Right Robin. We'll see you later." Raven turned off the communicator, and turned to her comrades. "Star's missing.... Again?" BB exclaimed. "Why is she doing this? I mean, Cyborg doesn't smell that bad!" He received a punch in the head from Cyborg. "That is not our problem right now. We have to deal with this first. The mines are unstable, and it goes on for miles. We need to find that bomb before it blows half the city away." She gestured them to follow. "The mine splits into two paths somewhere middle, so we'll have to split up. If you reach the exit of your tunnel before I do, find the other exit. They're about 2 miles apart from each other, coming out from the other side of the mountains. If you find the bomb, deal with it. Our communicators won't work that far underground. Got it?" They boys nodded. "Let's go!"  
  
Robin sat at the computer endlessly searching through a database of ceremonial rings. So far none of them have even come close to the ring he found by the door in his room. Who new Star's race had so many ceremonial rings? They were almost abundant as their friendship holidays. Robin sighed. "Well it wasn't any of the friendship rings.... Maybe..." He gulped. ".... The GlorBloth... ring of eternal hatred..." He clicked on the link to the picture, and sighed in relief. "They only have one hate ring, and this is definitely not it... But... What about this... Blothgloriet... Ceremonial love ring..." Robin's pale complexion turned stark white. He nervously stared at the picture link for a minute, totally at a loss for words. This wasn't a... wedding ring, was it? He clicked on the link. He bit his lip. This ring was the closest to Star's that he has found today. The basic design was about the same, but their some fundamental differences: their wear three tiny blue stones instead of two, and it was made out of white gold, not actual gold. "Computer.... Description please." "Ceremonial Love Ring. Given by a female to a male that she loves. Acceptance means that he returns her love, either as a friend or as a possible mate. After acceptance is made, a ceremony is held to establish the bonds of love. Refusal of the ring means exile from Family and Friends. The female must either move to different living city or live totally alone, depending on whether the ring was for love or friendship. Each family has a different style of ring to indicate their family heritage." Robin looked down at the ring. "I exiled her..." He cursed to himself. She not only left out of shame and rejection.... She had to leave by her race's beliefs. The thing was, was she asking for love in a friendship or real love.... In a ..... mate. He never thought of that before. He cared for Starfire very much, maybe even than the others. But.... Mate...? He had no idea what to think about that. He never thought about it all before. "Computer, bring up surveillance videos containing Starfire since yesterday morning." A list came up showing times and places. "Breakfast.... Then she was holed up in her room for the rest of the morning. That's not like her.... Wish we had cameras in there despite the lack of privacy.... She left mid afternoon... Stopped and watched Cyborg lose online fro about five minutes.... Went to my room...." Robin's eyebrows rose. She had stood in front of his door for almost and hour, with many tries at knocking and chickening out. She finally went in, only to burst out of the room a few minutes later eyes in tears. She tore done the hallway towards her room. "I.... am an asshole." (No shit Sherlock.) He kicked himself mentally. Focusing so much on Slade has ruined his personal life. What little one he had. He was growing into Batman. And he didn't like it. "I'll make it up to you Star...." He watched as she ran out of her room carrying a pink bag, and heading towards the door. She turned only once, when she reached the exit. Looking up into the camera, he could clearly see her mouth goodbye. Star then took off into the sky, heading towards the western horizon. "Alright, Star.... I'm coming for you!"(Soooooo.... Cheezy..... Can't Take IT!)  
  
Raven flew through the rabidly decreasing mine. Nowhere could she see enough room for a bomb as big as what the computer sensed. The mine was not more than a narrow shaft steadily heading into the earth. A truck may be able to fit here, providing it wasn't one of the huge diesel monstrosities one sees everywhere on construction sites. This was very strange. These mines may be more than just old and abandoned as she previously thought. Something more was going on here.... She stopped abruptly when the shaft suddenly widened into a large cavern. It was very dark, and only the glow of the flashlight on her communicator and the gigantic machine in the middle of the room gave off light. The machine had several tanks full of some liquid that glowed slightly in the dark. The bomb buzzed and whirred slightly, clicking to itself as if it was thinking to itself. A huge screen sat facing her, a cursor blinking on it. A voice accompanied the words that began to appear on the screen, sounding like a cute rabid Pokemon. Heya! See you found my Bomb!! Congrats at making it here before it blew. I am disappointed that there is only one of you. Limits my fun a bit, you see. "Who are you?" Raven asked evenly, staring coolly at the screen. Her hands crackled slightly with the energy she began to gather. Now, Now.... You do that I just my blow it up now!!! Raven's eyes narrowed as she dissipated her balls of energy. She hated these enemies. The ones that liked to play with their minds while all the while holding millions of innocents over her, their lives balancing on the amusement of these villains. "What do you want?" she asked, trying to show no emotion. She was determined not give this idiot what it wanted to see. This hidden being that loved toying with its prey, relishing in causing fear, anger, frustration and hopelessness made he steam with anger. There have been too many villains like that nowadays. She refused to give it what it wants. Awwww.... Did I piss you off? Now... This Bomb puts a damper on your day, does it not? Well, I propose a fun little game!! What say you? Wanna play?! "......... Do I have much of a choice in the matter? Let's get this over with." Raven crossed her arms, tapping her foot lightly. GOODY!!! Let's play.... I know!!! My favorite video game, THE LEGEND OF ZELDA!!! . You are Link! A large sword shot out from the machine, skidding on the ground to a stop at Raven's feet, as a large mechanical arm handed her a bow, aquiver full of arrows, and a long green hat complete with wig and pointy ear add-ons. "- - You have got to be kidding...." (Nope, I'm not. This is gonna make for a hilarious picture late on though.) Raven held the cape and accessories, and stared dumbfounded at the screen, her eye twitching. Nope! Put it on or I'll blow up the city!! ...... Isn't this fun? Oh! I forgot! We have to have a Zelda, don't we? ....... Lookie what I found!!! Cyborg was dropped to the floor, dressed in an oversized Princess Zelda dress and blonde wig. He was bound with chains and drooling. "Cyborg...? --; Great. Where's Beast Boy?" Raven asked, slightly exasperated as she fiddled with the hat and ears attachments. She picked up the sword as the annoying voice answered. Oh, he's that stupid fairy Navi. Another arm threw BB against a wall. He slumped to the ground, snoring slightly, and dressed in a light blue dress with blue fairy wings I had to drug them though. It'll take them 'till morning to wake up. But you couldn't get any help from them any how. Zelda and Navi were totally useless in the game. This is gonna be such fun! Oh, yes, since we'll be skipping to the final battle, from the Ocarina of Time series by the way, I'll be Ganondorf transformed, the monster GANON!!! A loud growl came from behind her. Raven's eyes widened, and she turned around slowly. A huge, living, breathing replica of the monster smiled at her, blowing foul smelling breath into her face. The beast was at least a story tall, with extreme muscles and a mouth full of sharp jagged teeth. A long, deadly sword was held in each massive hair covered fist. "Shit....." Behind her, the computer laughed maniacally.  
  
End Chapter 1!! Yeah!! What'll happen??? I sure as hell don't know! 


	2. An exploding Hotdog

Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the ghost and the villain. Don't sue me please!!  
  
Thanks to all who reviewed!! Positive comments will make me write more, and flames will... scar me for life. ... ! Again thank you for all the wonderful reviews! This is the first time I have ever, ever showed anybody a fan fiction of mine online, and I was really nervous about it. They usually hit the recycle bin before they ever have the chance to get online! I am so happy!!   
  
Raven slashed at the monstrosity wildly, and ducked, barely being sliced in half by an over sized sword. She growled. This... this ...thing... seemed to be immortal. Nothing that she could do was even making the Ganon monster break a sweat. Very unfortunate for Raven. In the background, the sickenly cute voice cackled, reverberating throughout the cavern. What, is my monster too tough for the itty bitty Ravie-Link? Hehehe... I have to say, this is quite fun! The voice screeched in laughter at the end, causing the earth to shake around them. Raven was thrown of balance by the vibration, and fell backward, landing awkwardly on a loose piece of rock. Ganon itself took a step back too steady itself... and managed to tread quite stupidly on its own freakish tail. The monster's scream was almost as deafening as the childish villain's laughter. Raven hiked herself off the rock, and levitated in the air. "I think I have found your Achilles Heel, monster." The monster's wails of pain turned into growls of anger, as it ripped through the air at Raven, missing by centimeters. Raven's eyes glowed a deep midnight as she chanted. A stalactite ripped from the ceiling and smashed into Ganon's behind, smashing the tail bone. It collapsed to the ground, roaring in agony. Raven levitated over to it, and held up the sword, preparing to deal a final blow to the monster's huge cranium. A gruesome hand shot out, and wrapped its fingers around her body, squeezing the breath out of her. She dropped the sword, and it clanged t the floor with a hopeless chime. Raven gasped for breathe wildly, as she fought down the uncontrollable feelings of panic. She began to see dark spots in her eyesight, and her lungs burned with lack of air. She lost control. Darkness surrounded everything. She was lost to panic and rage, emotions flying, destroying. Raven was flung into a spiral of tangled, confused emotions. She didn't know how to deal with any of them. She was prey to their will, and it was tearing her apart, pulling her in every which way. Her mind couldn't decide which Raven was appropriate for the situation. Panic had led to a total loss of her hard won control. Raven the emotionless was lost to the world for a few crucial moments. Outside the swirl of Raven's mind, chaos erupted. Dark energy consumed the Ganon beast, and pulled it in five directions at once. The monster screamed as it was ripped apart like Raven's mind, entrails splaying the cavern walls. The machine in the room clicked and whirred, cameras focusing on Raven. The girl levitated limply in front of it, eyes lifeless, as if the body was just a shell. The screen still blipped, its controller halting in its constant chatter. A slight wall of energy appeared between the device and Raven, with a protective crackle. The cameras stared on. Slowly, Raven came to life, eyes filling with intelligence once more. She was calm, her turmoil seemly ended. She raised a hand towards the silent computer, and encountered the force that protected it. Electricity rose up and shot throughout her body when she touched it, making her scream in pain. She fell from the air, and hit the ground painfully on her shoulder. Raven became Raven again. She breathed heavily, in short gasps, and she put one hand to her shoulder as she sat up. "I defeated your monster." She seethed as calmly as she could. "Release my friends and deactivate the bomb! NOW!" ... That... was ... freaky... --; You're weird!! And you cheat too!! You were supposed to use the sword only! No fair at all!! ... - I decided that I'm gonna blow up everything anyway. Have a grand old time with that!!! Wee! "No!" Raven screamed. She ran towards the machine, eyes glowing, muttering her spell words under her breath. The machine began to beep wildly, and clicked. BAM!! The thing exploded.... Raven was thrown into the wall, sliding down as she was sprayed with something disgustingly sticky. She licked at the stickiness on her face, tasting it. "Cream soda." Raven twitched. "This is... the most stupid thing... I have ever seen in my life. I hate this girl..." She glanced at the drooling costumed ones and sighed again. "I have a headache."  
  
Starfire stared blankly into the small fire she had made, shivering in the cold night. Her thin jacket did little to protect from the bitter drop in the night's temperature. She hugged herself, trying to get warm, and reminisced on happier times. The small pocket in the steep mountainside was a sad shelter, offering little more than a slight roof and something to put her back against. She would have to move on in the morning and search for a better hiding place. Star was always camping in the forest or mountainside, keeping within a couple of miles of civilization. Fall was fading into winter, and she could not fend for herself just yet. A miserable tear ran down her cheek. She was an outcast, destined to be unloved and alone. No one would want her to even be near them. Her love was not good enough. 'I wish I had left things the way they were..... At least they were near then... I did not feel so totally less of hope...' She shifted uncomfortably, and closed her eyes. She could feel the dull ache of an oncoming headache. Star rubbed her temples, trying to think of her plans for the morrow. She needed to search for some sort of shelter. She needed supplies: food, a blanket, and a heavier jacket. That meant she needed to find a way of gaining money for goods, and someplace to buy the goods from. And she needed to do all this with being seen as little as possible. She shivered again. This was not going to be easy. Then again, she didn't think she deserved an easy time of this. She was supposed to suffer, after all; her love was rejected. She was unworthy of happiness. The half bare trees swayed as a particularly strong gust of wind swept through its branches, raining leaves throughout the area. Somewhere to her left, she heard an ear piercing scream. Her head snapped towards it. "There is someone in need of help..." she murmured this to herself, slowly getting up and floating towards the scream, almost hypnotically. Her eyes were wide and blank. She flew mechanically, as if being pulled by some powerful unknown force. "She... needs .... my... help?" She murmured this, again to herself. Finally, she had entered a small clearing, filled with overgrown weeds, and surrounded by the brambles of dead rose bushes. In the center of the clearing sat a lonely swing, gently swaying. There was no wind at all to speak of. "Who is there?" Star asked, suddenly afraid. Moonlight gave the whole scene an eerie feeling to the glen. Star's eyes widened. Slowly, the form of a girl was taking shape on the swing. Long red hair flowed down her back. She was swathed in a black kimono with silver trimming. Her skin was a pale white, and her eyes contrasted with blood red irises. No pupils. Her eyes penetrated Star's soul with that ruby red gaze. "Do you know my pain?" she asked, voice frightening yet musical. It was a girl- no a ghost- of contradictions. Star was terrified of her, yet she yearned to get closer to the ghost. "Have you been rejected from those you love?" Her hair flowed behind her as she swung gently on the swing. Star slowly nodded. "I am not worthy of the kinship that they have with me. I am destined to be alone until I am old and wrinkly!" Tears welled into Star's eyes. She looked at the ghostly figure as it gave a wild grin at her. "I know of a way that ensures that you never have to be alone or rejected dear. Never in your life or even in your afterlife will you be alone." The blood red lips produced a wider grin, showing a touch of insanity. "Would you like that?" Her swinging was stilled, and she sat, motionless, staring at Star. Star took a step towards the girl. "I- I can't be near anyone... I'm....dangerous..." Star said this haltingly, slightly unsure of this girl. But her need for companionship was stronger, and the fear of being alone was winning. The girl began to swing back and forth again, her insane grin becoming a placid smile. "You cannot harm me, my friend. I have passed from this world. Nothing you are capable of can harm me." Star broke into a smile when she heard this, overcoming the distance between the two quickly. "You mean that you will become my friend! I thank you newfound companion! What shall we do first? What is your name? What is your favorite color?" She clapped her hands together in delight. Star was fooling herself. She didn't feel the happiness that she should have. She only felt a deeper despair, and the increasing feeling of wrong growing in her. The girl stopped again and stared at her, an eyebrow lifted in question at Star's enthusiasm. "I can sadly only appear on the night I died, tonight. But I can stay with you always, but only with your help." The girl narrowed her ruby eyes, and reached a pale hand out towards Star, laying it gently on her head. "This won't hurt a bit...." She gave a little giggle. Star sunk to the ground, unconscious, eyes still wide in shock. The girl showed her insane grin again, and faded away.  
  
"Great job Raven. I'm glad to see you made it out alright." Robin smirked as Raven scowled, rubbing her damp hair with a towel. "Not funny. Cyborg and Beast Boy are still drooling all over themselves. Any luck finding Starfire?" Raven asked through the telecommunicator. Robin looked distressed for a moment, and then his face returned to its normal stony façade. "I'm working on a lead right now. She was sighted near Gotham forest, along the ridge. I'm coming back for supplies and then I'm going to check it out." Robin said. "You stay there and keep an eye on things. Robin out." The communicator clicked off, leaving Robin in a lonely silence. He clenched his fist, and stared up into the stars. "I'll find you, Starfire, and make it up to you. I swear it!" No one but the stars heard him.  
  
One Week Later  
  
Robin gritted his teeth against the chilling wind. The temperature had been steadily dropping since the night that Star had left. He had her trail though, and he knew he would find her soon. He tramped through the snow. Up here on the heights of the mountain, the air was much colder, and snow had already blanketed the ground and trees in its icy whiteness. Starfire was near, he could feel it. He couldn't let her down again. He stopped suddenly, as an old shack of a cabin loomed just a couple hundred of yards ahead of him. It was covered in snow, and half of the roof had caved in recently. He ventured inside curiously, hope flying. What he found inside made his heart rejoice. There was smoldering embers on the crumbling fireplace, and an empty bed lay in disarray by it. What really gave him hope was the pink bag that lay propped against the wall, bright pink and covered with flowers. "Star!" He did not see any signs that she was here at the moment. Slowly, he crossed the room to the door at the opposite wall. He opened the rotted door, and was met with an icy blast of wind. He pulled his coat closer around him, trying to gain some heat. Footprints led a trail haphazardly away from the cabin, into the woods. He took off at a run, following the trail into the woods. "STAR!!!!!" he called out for her. His feet led him to the bank side of a fast running river. The tracks disappeared into the gurgling water. He panicked for a moment, but shook his head a moment later, regaining his wits. He resolutely followed the current, hoping he didn't find the body of his dearest friend washed up on the bank side. "Noooo..." a low moan reached him, and he stopped dead in his tracks. Starfire stood before him, her back turned towards him, shivering in the cold. Her feet were at the edge of a steep drop, the water tumbled over the edge noisily beside her. "Please.... Leave..." She was soaking wet, and was dressed only in her normal attire and a light pink windbreaker. She coughed and he could see a few drops of blood stain the snow at her feet. "Star.... Come home..." Robin pleaded, taking a steep towards her, hand reaching for her in earnest. "Please Star I- we miss you. Come with me back to the tower." He took another step. She twirled to face him, eyes wide. "Stay... stay away! Leave me alone!" She took a step back. Her foot reached air only, and she tumbled backwards into the valley below. "STAR!!!" Robin's action was immediate. He leapt forward, following in her plummet towards the ground below. He grabbed her wrist, shooting out a safety line skyward as he did so. It connected roughly with a tree at the top of the cliff, and held. Their descent stopped abruptly, and they swung, banging into the wall of rock. Robin winced. Star was motionless. Slowly, he dragged them both back to the top.  
  
Cyborg dragged his ass through the door, exhausted. They've been searching with little rest the whole week and there was still no sign of Star in those damn woods. He was about to give up. He sat down wearily, head held in his hands. Things would be very lonely without her around. .... And a lot less clean. He sighed. "Cyborg, help!" "Wha-?" Cyborg turned in his seat to see Robin pushing through the doorway, carrying a badly mangled Starfire wrapped in his winter coat. "Jesus, what happened?" Cye jumped up as Robin laid Star down on the couch. She moaned softly, and coughed. "I'll explain later. Go grab a blanket and the first aid kit. I'll call the others." Cye ran off as Rob pulled out his communicator. "Raven? You there? Come back to the tower. We found Star." Crackling came in tune with her answer. "Beast Boy and I are a little tied up right now. Nothing we can't handle though." Raven's voice sounded faint, and the connection was horrible. Despite that, she sounded hurried and out of breath. "Raven out." "Raven?" he blinked at the communicator, then tossed it aside, turning his attentions to the present problem. Cye ran back into the room, carrying a huge, thick quilt and a white medical case. Robin slowly uncovered Star, revealing the bruises and blood soaked clothes. Cye set down the medical case next to Robin, throwing it open. Robin blushed a bit, as he removed the jacket. Her top was torn in many revealing places, as well as soaked, and clung to her body. Although her body wasn't a pretty sight at the moment; bruised and bloodied, her normally orange tan was a sickly yellow. Ragged cuts ran along her arms and wrists. Robin grimaced at seeing them. He couldn't tell if they were self inflicted or not. He could hear Cye inhale deeply, and then opened up the kit. "Okay, Raven and BB are out of the picture for awhile. We need to get her bandaged, warm, and clean, in that order." A slow blush reddened him, despite the urgency of the situation. "Y-you start the bath water, and I'll get her wrists wrapped, and I'll get her out of her clothes and wrapped into the blanket. She's gonna need hot water." Cye nodded and ran off, leaving Robin to deal with Star and the haunting of his guilty emotions for the little alien. Taking out disinfectant from the kit, he carefully cleaned the wounds, senses acute of any cries of pain. She was breathing deeply, giving a low moan every now and then, trapped in a torturous prison of her own mind, it seemed. He bandaged as carefully as he could, using a butterfly on some of the cuts as impromptu stitching. It was too late to stitch; he was afraid of sealing in infection. Her wrists tended too, he took to the lesser cuts and bruises, using bactiderm and gauze as his main tools. And he suddenly came to a part he both dreaded and yearned for, though wishing it were under different circumstances. He shakily pulled off the miserable clothing, quickly and modestly covering her with the huge blanket that Cyborg had provided. She was shivering slightly, and her breathe came in short gasps. He couldn't help a glance at her bare body, but had quickly shut his eyes. The wounds on her body were atrocious. Robin could hardly control his guilt, seeing her like this. It was partly his fault, turning her away like that. He also began to feel the coldness of hatred sweep his body. He would make whoever did this to her pay. Robin heard Cyborg call that the bath was drawn, and he lightly picked her up, blanket and all, hugging her to his body. "Please live Star..." He said softly to her. "I... I need you..."  
  
End Ch 2 Yeah!!! It's done!!! Will Star survive? Will Robin ever be forgiven? What is really going on with BB and Raven? And who the hell is this new villain? ..... These questions might be answered in the next chapter. I haven't decided yet! But, more to fun to come, definitely! 


End file.
